OCTOBER 2022
4.2 Politicisation of the Education Sector
In October, there was a noticeable rise in the politicisation of educational
resources and the exploitation of children as political pawns. The organisers
of the Teachers for ED (Economic Development) launch ordered some
schools to avail buses to ferry teachers from different parts of the country to
the venue at Harare International Conference Centre (HICC). The Ministry of
Primary and Secondary Education assigned teachers to organise students in
various regions of the nation to perform art at the anti-sanctions march on
October 25. In Mwenezi District, each school was expected to contribute
USD$10 by October 18 to the Teachers for ED initiative. The forced
mobilisation of students led to the loss of valuable class time, especially
when many were writing their Ordinary and Advanced Level Public
Examinations. The reported concern violates Section 75 of the Constitution,
which states that Zimbabwe's citizens and permanent residents have the
right to education. The education sector in Zimbabwe continues to
deteriorate.
ZPP recommends the following interventions to ensure that the education
sector is not politicised;
4.2.1 The Zimbabwean government should make sure that educational
resources and school children are not utilized for political purposes.
4.2.2 The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission should engage the
government on the welfare of teachers and the promotion of their rights
which include not being forced to attend political rallies.
The Zimbabwe Peace Project
Monthly Monitoring Report
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